1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a digital audio disk reproducing apparatus and method, and, in particular, to an apparatus and method for reproducing recorded information from digital audio disks generally referred to as compact disks.
2. Background of the Invention
The recording area of a digital audio disk (also called a compact disk) is shown in FIG. 1 and consists of three portions arranged, from the center outward, in the order of a lead-in area E1, a program area E2 and a leadout area E3. A data group called TOC (table of contents) is recorded in the lead-in area E1 and the TOC contains data specifying various factors including addresses (positions on the disk) for the number of pieces of music recorded thereon and the intermusic portions, as well as the playing time required to reproduce each piece of music, and the total playing time. The program area E2 adjacent the lead-in area E1 contains audio information which will be replayed. The lead-out area E3 contains repeated signals for indicating the ending of the audio information of the program area E2.
Information recorded on a digital audio disk is reproduced with a digital audio disk player (hereinafter referred to simply as a player) either sequentially (i.e., all pieces of music recorded are reproduced in the order they have been recorded) or in a selective fashion (only designated pieces of music are reproduced).
A player having a capability for random memory music selection or program music selection has already been developed for use as an apparatus for reproducing the pieces of music recorded in the digital disk. This player is so designed that it automatically reproduces successive pieces of music in response to the addressing of their music numbers by manual operation on an input device such as a keyboard. There sometimes occurs the need to reproduce with this player the pieces of music recorded in a digital audio disk and to dub (or copy) them onto magnetic tape. The time required to reproduce all of the recorded pieces of music is not necessarily equal to the time over which recording is possible with the tape. Therefore, it is possible that the piece of music being replayed after dubbing will be interrupted or a prolonged blank period will occur at the end of the tape to cause discomfort to the listener. In order to ensure that none of the pieces of music dubbed onto magnetic tape will be interrupted during replay, the user who is dubbing must first check the recordability of pieces of music in consideration of the tape length and the total playing time of the pieces of music to be dubbed and then to make use of the random memory music selection capability of the player to designate the pieces of music that can be dubbed and properly reproduced from the tape. However, complicated procedures are necessary to attain this object with the conventional player.